Anticreeper.



F. A. PRESTON.

ANTICREEPER. APPLICATKON FILED JUNE x6. ISIS.

m1 fifimn v Patented Mar. 20, 191?.

ill EATE FREDEI EIICK A. PRESTON, OF HIGHLAND IfiRK, ILLINOIS, .hSSlG-NOR T THE T3. M. 00.,

till CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COETPORATIUN 01 BILLIE? 01S.

Alil' QlIEItEEPER. 1 i .1

Maw-Mm To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FREDERICK A. Pans- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Highland Park, in the county of Lake and State of Illinois, have 1nvented a certain new and useful Improvement in I rections; and to provide a rail anchor which may be economically manufactured. Other objects and advantages will be apparent Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates a top I plan view of the anchor.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 illustrates the manner of applying the anchor to the rail base; and

Fig. 4 is a development of the blank from which the anchor is formed.

The rail anchor is formed preferably from af blank of high carbon-steel 1, which blank has the form of a strip or bar provided with a lateral projection 9.. This pro jection is bent downwardly to. form a tie abutting flange One end of the bar is bent around to form. a j aw 3 which conforms in general to the cross sectional outline of the adjacent portion 20f the rail base. The other end of said baris bent to form a hook l, the end of the hook having preferably a notch 5 therein. Said bar is also bent downwardly adjacent to the flange 2, as shown in Fig. 3. i

The anchor is applied to'the rail base by first hooking the jaw 3 over one side of said base; and forcing said jaw firnilyi' against the side of said'base. The angle of v the jaw is normally smaller than the corre- Specification of Letters Eatent.

Application. filed June 13, 1918.

- against the rail.

Patented ltlar. ism.

Serial No. 103,968.

spending angle of the rail base, as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 3. As a result said jaw is sprung when forced onto the rail base, whereby the anchor in final position maintains a firm frictional hold on said rail base. After forcing the jaw 23 onto one side of the rail base, the other side of the anchor, which inclines downwardly, is forced upwardly by means of a suitable tool, such as a lining bar 6. The hook at is so shaped as to draw the jaw 3 firmly against the opposite side of the rail in case it has sprung away somewhat. During this upward increment, the downwardly inclined end of said hook is bent back more nearly vertical, as it is crowded past the side of the rail. W hen the side of the rail anchor has been lifted high enough so that the main body of the cross bar 1 is substantially in contact with the bottom of the rail base the projecting end of the hook 4: snaps over the edge of the rail base, the latter engaging within the notch The rail anchor is thus prevented from springing downwardly or sidewise, and is under tension in both a horizontal and vertical direction. 'Therefore it main tains a firm frictional hold on the rail base.

The tie-abutting flange 2 is located directly beneath the jaw 8, for the reason that said jaw is intended to resist the major portion of the creeping thnust by virtue of the powerful clanipingaction which it exerts on the rail base. Said flange is therefore located in such position as to transmit the creeping thrust directly to the cross tie 7, and it also serves to stiflen the :"lhe function of the hook. 4 is largely to maintain the jaw 3 in proper position on the rail base and'to keep it sprung, whereby it may not only maintain the necessary vertical grip thereon but may exert a powerful lateral pressure as well. Said hook also keeps the main body of the cross bar sprung by holding it If the rail moves rearwardly, thetie-abutting flange engages the ballast'a'nd resists creeping in. this direction also. If the ballast is frozen, creeping may be substantially prevented.

With the constructionillustrated, itwill be seen that the anchor remains tight under I n all conditions, as rearward movement of the lilll the rail base, lend, ting1 extremity .n ier e e of W i g fplacenient oi. said anchor.

Having thus. described my invention, what I claim as, new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1, An anti-creeper comprising a spring steel memberihaving ajaw at one end and a hook at the other end, the extreme end of said hook engaging the upper edge of the rail base. r

2. A rail anchor comprising a spring steel fmember having a jaw at one end which maintains a firm frictional engagement on and havinga hook at the other said rail base, said extremity aving a notch which prevents lateral disrailanchor having an integral jaw at one side and having a hook atmthe other side thereof provided with a notch to fit the edge of the rail base, and a tie-abutting flange intermediate said parts all of which are integrall formed of spring steel.

4. A rail anchor comprising a steel bar having a jaw at one end bent to an angle "somewhat less than that of the rail base section, a tie-abutting flange at the end near said jaw, said bar being bent downwardly near said jaw, and a hook at the opposite end arranged to be sprung up wardly against the other side of the rail base.

'5. A rail anchor comprising a transverse member beneath the' rail base having one end bent to form a jaw smaller than the rail base section whereby said jaw is sprung when in place and exerts a powerful vert1-- cal grip thereon, a tie-abutting portion ad'- jacent to said jaw to stitlen the latter and of which engages the the rail base, and

transmit the creeping thrust withoutsk'ewing the anchor appreciably, and means at the other end of saidtransverse member for insuring a owerful lateral grip of said jaw on the rail ase. v 6. A rail anchor comprising a transverse member beneath the rail base having one end bent to'torm a jaw smaller than the rail' base section, whereby said jaw 1s sprung when positioned on said rail base, a hook at the other end of said transverse member, and a tie-abutting flangedirectly beneath sald jaw, the portion of-said transverse member between said hook and said flange being bent downwardly away from mally obstructing the raising of the adjacent end of said transverse member, whereby said hook has to be forcibly sprung over the rail base, thereby drawing said aw laterally against the opposite side of the rail base and putting saidtransverse member un- -der tension beneath the rail base.

' 7. A rail anchor comprising a transverse the end of said hook normember beneath the rail base provided with rnnnnnion A. rnns'ron. 

